Berlin:
A German court on Thursday found a girl band singer guilty of causing bodily harm to her ex-boyfriend by having unprotected sex with him despite knowing she was infected with HIV.
However, Nadja Benaissa was spared a jail sentence.
Instead, the member of the "No Angels" group, was given a two-year suspended prison sentence and 300 hours community service by the Darmstadt administrative court.
She had faced a possible 10 years behind bars.
The court ruled that the 28-year-old had infected a former boyfriend with the virus that causes AIDS by having unprotected sex with him.
Benaissa helped her case during the trial, which began on 16 August, by acknowledging she had unprotected sex despite knowing she was HIV-positive and saying it was a big mistake.
She said she was "sorry from the bottom of my heart", adding that she had realised how much her ex-boyfriend was still suffering.
After the ruling, the prosecutor told reporters the sentence was appropriate.
"We have to remember that she was a lot younger than she is now, she had a turbulent life, and the acts were committed a long time ago," he said.
The man who claimed Benaissa infected him had said he and the singer had a three-month relationship at the beginning of 2004 and that he got tested after Benaissa's aunt asked him in 2007 whether he was aware that the singer was HIV-positive.
Benaissa said she didn't tell anybody about her disease because she was afraid of the consequences - an act she described during the trial as "cowardly".
The singer told the court she became addicted to crack cocaine at 14 and that during her pregnancy at 16, she found out that she was HIV positive.
After winning a TV talent show in 2000, Benaissa joined "No Angels" with four other young women and managed to hide her illness from everyone.
The group sold more than five (m) million albums before breaking up in 2003.
Along with three other members from the original band, Benaissa helped re-form the group in 2007.
They performed to a disastrous response in the 2008 Eurovision song contest, coming in 23rd out of 25 contestants.
However, Nadja Benaissa was spared a jail sentence.
Instead, the member of the "No Angels" group, was given a two-year suspended prison sentence and 300 hours community service by the Darmstadt administrative court.
She had faced a possible 10 years behind bars.
The court ruled that the 28-year-old had infected a former boyfriend with the virus that causes AIDS by having unprotected sex with him.
Benaissa helped her case during the trial, which began on 16 August, by acknowledging she had unprotected sex despite knowing she was HIV-positive and saying it was a big mistake.
She said she was "sorry from the bottom of my heart", adding that she had realised how much her ex-boyfriend was still suffering.
After the ruling, the prosecutor told reporters the sentence was appropriate.
"We have to remember that she was a lot younger than she is now, she had a turbulent life, and the acts were committed a long time ago," he said.
The man who claimed Benaissa infected him had said he and the singer had a three-month relationship at the beginning of 2004 and that he got tested after Benaissa's aunt asked him in 2007 whether he was aware that the singer was HIV-positive.
Benaissa said she didn't tell anybody about her disease because she was afraid of the consequences - an act she described during the trial as "cowardly".
The singer told the court she became addicted to crack cocaine at 14 and that during her pregnancy at 16, she found out that she was HIV positive.
After winning a TV talent show in 2000, Benaissa joined "No Angels" with four other young women and managed to hide her illness from everyone.
The group sold more than five (m) million albums before breaking up in 2003.
Along with three other members from the original band, Benaissa helped re-form the group in 2007.
They performed to a disastrous response in the 2008 Eurovision song contest, coming in 23rd out of 25 contestants.
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